The Dividing Sky

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Author(s)

Jill Tew

Publisher

Joy Revolution

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

October 08, 2024

ISBN

978-0593710357

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A cunning teen memory merchant falls for the handsome rookie officer on her tail in this swoony dystopian romance that's “one to watch” (Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of The Isles of the Gods)

In 2364, eighteen-year-old Liv Newman dreams of a future beyond her lower-class life in the Metro. As a Proxy, she uses the neurochip in her brain to sell memories to wealthy clients. Maybe a few illegally, but money equals freedom. So when a customer offers her a ludicrous sum to go on an assignment in no-man’s-land, Liv accepts. Now she just has to survive.

Rookie Forceman Adrian Rao believes in order over all. After discovering that a renegade Proxy’s shady dealings are messing with citizens’ brain chemistry, he vows to extinguish the threat. But when he tracks Liv down, there’s one problem: her memories are gone. Can Adrian bring himself to condemn her for crimes she doesn’t remember?

As Liv and Adrian navigate the world beyond the Metro and their growing feelings for one another, they grapple with who they are, who they could be, and whether another way of living is possible.

Editor review

1 review

Dystopian Romance

December 21, 2024

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Liv Newman wants more than the rough life she lives for both her and her friends. She has a neurochip which allows her to collect memories and share them with others. In the Metro, most people stifle their emotions and Liv gives them the opportunity to feel more. She wants to make money while also helping to give them a better addiction. When someone offers her a large sum to go see the stars for him, she's hesitant to accept since she'll have to step outside of the protection the Metro offers. In the end, she decides to do it in hopes of giving everyone a better life.

Adrian Rao believes that people shouldn't step out of line, and that includes Liv Newman. When he catches her in a crime, he makes it his mission to catch her. Even though she helped him through a panic attack earlier that day, he no longer sees Liv as a kind girl. She's a problem in the Metro that needs to be stopped. When she leaves the city's limits, Adrian follows after her, not worried about the consequences. However, when he catches her, she's erased her own memory and Adrian feels guilty just arresting her. The two spend more and more time together after they get caught by raiders, and he learns there's much more to the outside world than he's been told. He also learns there's more to Liv Newman, and he's falling for her even though she doesn't fit into his perfect society.

THE DIVIDING SKY is a young adult dystopian novel that makes you question the world around you while tugging at your heart the entire time. The futuristic world the author paints is fascinating and certainly plausible. It's unique in its own way, but also give me Divergent vibes for some reason. The romance is an odd one with its insta-love meets memory loss as two to toe a thin line of right and wrong. Adrian manipulates her the entire story, but he's the sweetest at the same time. He's torn between being a good soldier and simply being Adrian. Liv is the picture of innocence in her amnesic state and sees the world in new ways.

Final Verdict: I would recommend this to ages fourteen and older who enjoy dystopian novels like DIVERGENT and ARCANE. It'll make you feel a variety of emotions, like sad, happy, anger, heart-warming, peace, and turmoil. I couldn't put this book down and it's an incredible debut.